Omate TrueSmart watch places calls, texts without your smartphone

If you’ve seen one smartwatch, you’ve seen them all – right? Not exactly. Virtually every smartwatch I’ve come across thus far primarily functions as an accessory to a smartphone but the Omate TrueSmart watch changes everything. That’s because it works as a standalone device that can place calls, send texts and even pair with Google Glass for a full-on wearable tech experience.

Hardware specifications include a 1.54-inch color display operating at a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. It’s powered by a dual-core 1.3GHz Cortex A7 chip with 4GB of memory onboard (expandable up to 32GB via microSD) and there’s even a built-in 5-megapixel camera, GPS and a micro SIM card slot for 3G connectivity.

The watch runs Android 4.2.2 underneath Omate’s custom overlay which means it can be rooted with ease should you decide to go that route. Additionally, the TrueSmart carries a protection rating of IP67 meaning it’s protected from dust and can withstand being submerged in water up to three feet deep for 30 minutes.

On the company’s Kickstarter page, they describe the TrueSmart as more than just a watch or a Bluetooth accessory. That may be true but there’s one glaring fault that I can’t help but overlook here – you’ll need a separate wireless plan to use it as a fully standalone device (at least in the US).

That’s an expensive proposition and unless you’re prepared to have a watch replace your phone, it’d probably be best to use the TrueSmart as a smartphone companion over Bluetooth for now.

Of course, that realization is doing little to deter support on Kickstarter as the project has already blown past its initial goal of $100,000 in just one day. You’ll need to invest at least $189 to guarantee you’ll be one of the first to receive the TrueSmart when it ships this November.